Everybody knows that Tom Hardy is an actor, philanthropist and general living god. But now it seems we can add practical joker to that list as well...

Appearing in a video behind the scenes on the set of Taboo, Tom Hardy can be seen playing the spoon prank on his stunt double Luke Hampton.

Hats off to Hardy!

In case you've never heard of the spoon trick – it's simple – all you need is three spoons, and one totally oblivious participant...

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It's basically a practical joke, disguised as a turn-based endurance game. Two people take turns at striking each other on the head using a spoon held in their mouth – which is not only hard to do, it doesn't give much of a hit.

But then... the targeted victim is secretly smacked in the head at full force by a third person, also brandishing a spoon.

We're imagining that before that final blow, Tom Hardy told the person wielding the third spoon: "I have a use for you..."

"When he says, 'We are Americans', James is very ambiguous with how much information he's going to give. In his mind, you will know when the time is right."

Taboo follows the story of James Delaney (Hardy), a traveller who everyone thought was dead until he returns to London in 1814 to reclaim his late father's shipping empire, after spending 10 years in Africa.

The eight-episode series boasts a stellar cast including Jonathan Pryce, Oona Chaplin, David Hayman, Jessie Buckley and Jefferson Hall, and is available as a boxset on iPlayer now.

Tom and his father Chips came up with the story for Taboo, and handed over writing duties to Tom's Peaky Blinders and Locke collaborator Steven Knight.